


Only once does it come around

by jstrattford



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Drabble, Fluff, M/M, instagram au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-24
Updated: 2015-07-24
Packaged: 2018-04-11 01:56:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,331
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4416620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jstrattford/pseuds/jstrattford
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The one where Niall accidentally sends Harry a picture.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Only once does it come around

**Author's Note:**

> A [drabble](http://arie-172.tumblr.com/post/115060455842/w-c-1-3k-a-n-a-instagram-au-or-something-like) I wrote a while ago.

Niall takes a moment to adjust the filter on his phone, fingers pressed loosely around the buttons as he attempts to find a suitable angle.

It’s not exactly the ideal situation to be taking a picture in a bathroom, but it’s the room with the best lighting – the only one where he can get any privacy without worrying about his roommates barging into his room like they seem to enjoy doing so many other times because, _mate, it’s not like you got someone in there, right?_   - as they’ve so kindly put it.

Niall takes a deep breath at the thought, ruffling his hair a bit when he pulls at the soft ends. He moves the camera around rather carelessly then, testing out the view that he thinks will give him the best result. But, it’s just as he thinks he’s found a very good angle that he hears a loud noise outside, full with intent and very little caution.

“Niall? Are you in there?” calls Liam, and Niall’s pretty sure that there’s a frown to match his not so cheerful tone.

“Yeah,” Niall mumbles out, scrambling to tuck his phone back into the pocket of his jeans. “Just a moment!”

There’s a loud sigh at the other end of the door, containing very little patience. “I swear to god if you’re taking any more of those pictures again…” Liam grumbles, an annoyance present in his voice that stings Niall more than the thought of having been interrupted. _Again_.

Niall listens carefully to the footsteps, each step harshly gripping at his chest, and right. He’ll show him, Niall winces, removing his plain blue t-shirt off as he goes to the bathtub.

Niall sloppily lies down in it, grabbing Liam’s bar of soap in his free hand and places it close to his chest, seductively titling his brows as he takes out his phone again and moves it around until he sees his face appear on screen. He’ll admit that he looks so ridiculously stupid lying down like that, but he clicks the little red button anyway, staring at the picture in satisfaction because this should more than do it.

“Niall!” he hears once again, inhaling a breath to soothe his irritation.

“Alright, alright! I’m going!” Niall calls back, smug smile on his face when _message sent_ appears on his screen.

There. Maybe that will teach Liam to stop ridiculing him, Niall smugly grins.

*

The second Niall sees Liam, he knows that it’s all gone to shit for him because Liam doesn’t appear to be bothered in the slightest. He just mumbles “finally,” with his towel around his torso, but there’s no indication of hostility.

Niall sighs back at Liam, forcing a smile, staring down at the message he’s just sent.

“Uh, yes?” Liam lifts a brow at him, hand on the doorknob. “Is there something you want to get off your chest?”

Niall’s heart sinks a bit, shaking his head slowly. “No,” he lies with a heavy heart, hating how it doesn’t sound as sincere as he wants it to. Liam frowns lightly, like he can see through Niall’s serious expression.

_Read at 11:22_

Niall makes a face now. Liam didn’t have his phone with him so why was his phone marking it as read?

“Did you…” Niall starts but doesn’t get a chance to finish when he feels his phone vibrate loudly in his hands that are tightly clutching its sides.

_Um hi. That’s a nice picture of who I think is yourself, but I think you may have sent this to the wrong person mate. xx_

Shit.

Niall’s eyes widen with horror, feeling the muscles on his face tense which each second he stares at his screen, as a vile mix of shock and regret stir his stomach.

“Sorry, what was that?” Liam says after a moment, eyebrows raised over eyes that sparkle with curiosity, standing still as if intrigued by Niall’s behavior, but his words fade before they reach Niall’s ears.

Niall closes his eyes, as if knotting them will stop him from ever opening them again.

“Nothing,” Niall says then but even as he does, he can feel the lump slowly running down his throat when he swallows loudly.

*

Niall’s in his room when the tension returns to his shoulders, letting the silence consume him with each second he stares down at his phone. He sighs loudly, his breathing bitter although his thoughts have calmed at this mistake.

There are two potential options over how to go about with this. One, he could just apologize and then pretend like it never happened, or two, he could ignore it and let the message fade along with his other 34 unread messages of spam, but…he’d rather just get this over and done with now. After all, he’s got no real motive for being embarrassed about this because it really wasn’t as bad as his mind was letting on.

Niall shakes his head, attempting to release the clashing thoughts from his head when he get his phone back out, fingers feeling numb with each second he tells himself to _do it now_ , reluctantly typing out what he hopes is an appropriate response.

_hey sorry ! won’t happen again !_

Niall clicks send before he can change his mind, a satisfaction residing in his chest at his casual response. This, he figures, should work. One less thing to worry about.

Niall takes a deep breath, finally beginning to feel a weight being lifted off of his shoulders when he puts his phone to the side – his bed – as his lungs happily welcome the air.

That was the plan, is the thing. But just when Niall thinks that potentially this whole ordeal has been mapped out into a clear solution, he gets another text, and it’s no coincidence that his heart drops at the exact same time because somewhere in his guts he can _feel_ that it’s the same person. And, of course, _it is_.

_Is that so? Awwww :( I was beginning to think you fancied me._

Niall frowns at that, cheeks turning red from that slight little push of a statement.

_Hahaha no ! I don’t even know you._

And it’s either because this guy has no life or is just as intrigued as Niall is that he responds instantly – not that Niall doesn’t appreciate that given the situation, but he wonders why it is that strangers respond faster than his own damn friends.

_We should change that then. xx_

What…

Niall’s thoughts pause when his phone vibrates again with a picture of a guy who Niall thinks is also his age, as the features of Niall’s face begin softening when he looks at the picture. The guy’s got curly hair – that much is a given despite the hat on his head – and his green eyes shine with an immense amount of curiosity in them, as he goofily smiles at the screen. It’s a smile that’s so soft that Niall feels his own face twisting into one because there’s something very easygoing about it, and, if he had to say so, this guy is fit.

Niall hums to himself, the corner of his lips pursed into a tight, straight line despite the way they’re trying to desperately tug upwards. Niall forces it back again when he feels his phone move in his hands once more.

_Shhh! Listen!_

_What’s he going on about?_ a confused Niall watches the screen with his fingers loose around the phone, blinking multiple times when he sees the context of the next message.

_That’s the sound of you falling in love with me. xx_

There’s a moment of bewilderment on Niall’s part then, looking at his screen with eyes that are significantly wider, not exactly sure of what to do. However, the moment is short and sudden, as Niall shakes his head. And, if Niall laughs or smiles at this that’s no one’s business but his own because yeah, he thinks that he might be okay with this response.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm on [tumblr](http://arie-172.tumblr.com/). Thanks for reading.


End file.
